Bandstand

Music by Richard Oberacker
Book and Lyrics by Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker

September 24-26, 2026

Auditions: May 8, 2026
Directed by Abigail Pletcher
Assistant Directed by Chase Buher

Notices:

Because of the challenging musical requirements we have precast five supporting characters, the band members. However the leads, several supporting characters, and the ensemble are all open to auditions.

Because of the subject matter of the story this show will contain language and intense depictions of war and PTSD.

We are charging a $40 production fee to all cast members, which will be due at the read through. While we do not wish this to become a regular practice, it is necessary to ensure quality props and costumes for our cast.

Characters:

• DONNY NOVITSKI – Approximately twenty-four years old, ruggedly handsome with his Italian and Polish heritage. A piano (and accordion) prodigy, he is passionate about swing music and writing his own songs. While clearly shining with that elusive star quality, he carries the dark weight of wartime experiences. Baritone/Tenor, B-flat 2 to B-flat 4.
• JULIA TROJAN – Approximately twenty-four years old, beautiful in a wholesome and effortless way. A gifted singer, but one without the drive to be a star. Her talents are personal to her and not showy, a means of expression and discovery. She is smart, honest, and no one’s fool. Her star quality is born of her natural ability to simply tell the truth when singing; she is emotionally translucent on a stage. Soprano with strong belt, G3 to F-sharp 5.
  
• MRS. JUNE ADAMS – Mid-forties to mid-fifties, she is Julia’s mother and a woman of very modest means. She has a nervous anxiety most of the time and a desire to please that belies a personal history filled with disappointment and loss. Out of this energy comes her very quirky sense of comedy. But her grounded honesty is never far away when it comes to Julia’s happiness. Alto, G3 to B4.
  
• WAYNE WRIGHT – Late twenties to late thirties, he is a gifted jazz trombone player and a veteran Marine Lieutenant. Wayne manifests his war experiences in a severe case of obsessive compulsive disorder. He carries enormous tension in his body and mind and maintains an aloofness that hides his emotional turmoil. He is a man that can be very intimidating in his silence. High Baritone, C3 to B-flat 4.
  
• JIMMY CAMPBELL – Late twenties to mid-thirties, he is a gifted jazz reed player, predominantly saxophone and clarinet. Jimmy is very bookish, thin, and well put together. He is wisely studying law, having just returned from the Navy. He has a careful and guarded personality but is fiercely loyal to Donny and the band. While the text never gives him away, Jimmy is committed to fighting injustices in whatever ways he can. Baritone, C3 to G-sharp 4.
• JOHNNY SIMPSON – Mid-twenties to late thirties, he is a drumming phenomenon. A returning Army Private, he suffers from severe back pain due to an injury requiring three surgeries. He is therefore reliant on pain medication, which affects his mental clarity. He also shows signs of traumatic head injury with memory loss. But mostly this all combines to give Johnny an almost childlike and gentle personality. He is by no means stupid – he has very honest insight – but he carries a charming simplicity that is in contrast to his sharp and impressive musical skills. High Baritone, B2 to G-sharp 4.
  
• DAVY ZLATIC – Late twenties to early forties, he is a wiz on the upright bass. A recent Army veteran who served in the European theater and liberated Dachau, Davy is modeled heavily on Shakespeare’s lovable Falstaff. A big man of big appetites, he drinks to no end and maintains a constant stream of silly jokes to entertain. He is an incredible talent and a loyal friend, playing the clown but in reality the protector. Baritone, B2 to F-sharp 4.
  
• NICK RADEL – Late twenties to early forties, he is a genius trumpet player. A recent veteran of the Army who spent the last months of the European battles in a German prisoner-of-war camp, Nick is a man desperate for career and personal security. He is outrageously confident in his gifts as a musician and always on the lookout for those who would shortchange him of his deserved credit and compensation. Everything seems to be a personal affront to him and he has not yet been able to stop fighting for his life every day since returning to the home front. He prides himself on his ability to play exceptionally high notes on his trumpet and sometimes has a hard time being a team player. Baritone, B2 to F4.

• JEAN ANN RYAN – Mid-thirties to late fifties, a glamorous local radio personality. Jean Ann prides herself on being the voice of several of WTAM Radio’s most popular programs. She believes herself to be more worldly and sophisticated than she likely is, but her outsized persona is matched by a sentimental and dramatic heart. A voice that recalls early Judy Garland and Kate Smith, she is a warm alto.
  
• OLIVER – Mid-forties to early sixties, a magnanimous owner of one of Cleveland’s most popular nightclubs. The club that bears his name may not be the fanciest in town, but it is respected for its music scene. Oliver treats his guests like family and enjoys the spotlight whenever possible. Ensemble vocal track.
  
• AL – Mid-forties to early sixties, an elegant and gracious owner of the most prestigious supper club in Cleveland, The Pavilion. He is suave and attentive to his guests but carries the confidence of the upper classes of Midwestern society. Ensemble vocal track.
  
• JO – Late twenties to early fifties, a forthright owner of the hole-in-the- wall jazz club The Blue Wisp. Jo is a woman in a man’s game and has incredible confidence. She’s possibly pretty masculine herself and doesn’t care who knows it. She’s proud of her little club and loyal to her musicians and her decidedly blue-collar clientele. Ensemble vocal track.
  
• ANDRE BARUCH – Mid-forties to mid-fifties, the real-life radio host and personality of several popular radio programs on NBC Radio in New York City. Andre is debonair and sincere with a classic radio voice that has the trained Mid-Atlantic accent of the time. Ensemble vocal track.
  
• ROGER COHEN – Late twenties to early fifties, a corporate businessman in the much larger entertainment machine of the National Broadcasting Company. Roger is officious, efficient, and very good at his job. While he enjoys show business and is comfortable and confident in its rarified world, he has no patience for conflict. Ensemble vocal track.
• JAMES HAUPT – Early thirties to early fifties, a successful director of radio programs at NBC Radio in New York City. He has the slickness of a New York show business professional with all the attendant charm and smarts. He always appears genuine and gracious when dealing with the “talent,” but is all business behind the scenes. Ensemble vocal track.
  
• PAULA – A woman of indiscriminate age, a no-nonsense New Yorker in the heart of the professional radio entertainment capital of the world. Ensemble vocal track.
  
• BETSY – Late teens, an excitable bobby-soxer fan of the Donny Nova Band. She is all smiles and enthusiasm when meeting her favorite band. Her comic sense comes out of her blithe honesty and unabashed love of the music. Ensemble vocal track.
  
• ENSEMBLE:
  Includes various SERVICEMEN, CLUB PATRONS, SWING DANCERS, WAIT STAFF, RADIO STAFF, STAGEHANDS, JAZZ MUSICIANS, CLEVELANDERS and NEW YORKERS

Synopsis

Bandstand is the story of Donny Novitski, a young veteran and musician, just home from WWII. Once he returns home, he discovers that the country he fought so hard to defend has left him behind. With no work and no prospects, he comes upon the opportunity of a lifetime: A national competition to find the nation’s next swing band sensation. Donny joins forces with a motley group of fellow veterans, and the widow of his best friend, and together, they form a band unlike any the nation has ever seen.
This powerful musical shines a light on the unseen struggles of those who gave their all to defend our country. In the process, it helps us experience the strength of brotherhood, the power of music, and the dignity of every human life.

A word from our director…

This show is unique and amazing on multiple levels. For one, you have a main cast who must be able to play their instruments excellently, an ensemble artfully portraying the struggles of the characters, and some stirring solos. These are all elements that make this show exciting. But the foundation to all of this is the very raw and powerful story of six veterans and a widow. This show deconstructs our monolithic view of service members and veterans and shows them as they are. Human beings who each experience the world differently, who react differently to their time in WWII, and who are treated differently by the world around them. Everything in the show is about portraying that experience. The joys, the hardship, the laughter, and the tears.
This show is a great challenge artistically, requiring us to pull out all the stops. But it’s also a great opportunity to shine a light on real struggles and maybe, in some small way, help those who have fought to protect ou5r country.